The official blog of Dawud Walid, a leading voice for Muslims & Islam in Michigan. Disclaimer: Views and articles posted on this website are those of their authors and do not necessarily represent the views of CAIR or blog owner. Contact at dwalid1971@gmail.com for comments, questions, media inquires or booking for speaking engagements.

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Tag Archives: Jihad

Prophet Muhammad (Prayers & Peace be Upon Him & His Family) reportedly said, “Jihad pertains to three: Jihad with the hand, with the tongue and in the heart.” [Narrated by Al-Hakim At-Tirmidhi in Nawadar Al-Usul Fi Ahadith Ar-Rasul]

Today’s khutbah was given at the Muslim Community of Western Suburbs (Canton Mosque) regarding the Jihad of the Tongue, meaning the struggle of articulating intellectual arguments against the corruption of deen (loosely translated as religion) and resisting the introduction of blameworthy innovations (bid’ah).

The following video is of a lecture that I just gave this past Thursday titled, “The Dangers of Extremism,” which was given at the Dearborn Community Center/Masjid As-Salam.

The talked touched on the following:

1) The ideological similarities of those extremist Muslims who kill fellow Muslims in this time with the “Khawarij” who martyred Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (KW) approximately 1,300 years ago.

2) The meaning of the hadeeth, “Whoever changes his religion, kill him,” and its meaning that is related to committing treason not simply changing ideology to aethism or Christianity.

3) The agreement/covenant that American Muslims have in protecting the society.

4) Al-Islam’s position against vigilantism.

5) The sanctity of all human life.

6) Steps to take in reporting persons’ coming to mosques or over the internet using extreme rhetoric irrespective if the persons are authentic extremists or informants.

7) The responsibility that all Muslims have to be informants regarding seeing any criminal activity going on in society.

8) The sacred command that Muslims have been given not to spy in persons’ private matters and affairs.

9) Productive ways of challenging bad governmental policies such as being civically engaged and speaking up against injustices per the hadeeth, “The best struggle [jihad] is to speak a word of truth/justice to an oppressive leader[ship].”

Walid said the failed attempt to blow up Flight 253 from Amsterdam as it landed in Detroit is not “jihad,” or “striving in the cause of God.” Instead, attacks are “irhab,” or “terrorism,” and “hirabah,” or “unlawful warfare,” according to Islam’s holy book, the Quran, he said.

“To our fellow Americans, we ask you not to paint all Muslims with a broad brush,” Walid said. “We condemn this type of injustice.”

Walid’s group is launching its own jihad, an online endeavor to provide legitimate information to young, uneducated Muslims who might fall prey to Internet rhetoric from religious extremists. He expects the online presence to launch by spring.

“People in the community are just frustrated,” said Dawud Walid, executive director of Michigan’s Council on American-Islamic Relations.

He said that misinformation about Islam abounds after such incidents. Walid said that the vast majority of the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world do not support al-Qaida, and, in fact, make up most of the terrorist group’s casualties in places such as Pakistan and Iraq.

“Killing and targeting civilians is unacceptable in Islam,” he said.

He offered a distinction between Islamic concepts, condemning the incident as “irhab” (terrorism) and “hirabah” (unlawful warfare), and denying that the act constituted true “jihad,” or work on behalf of God.

“These people are not engaged in legitimate jihad, and we should not embolden them further by calling them ‘jihadis,’ ” Walid said.

The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) today strongly condemns Al-Qaeda for its self-acknowledged role in a failed attack on a passenger plane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas day.

No faith or legitimate political ideology could ever justify the injuring or murdering of innocent civilians. No cause or grievances can ever justify such wanton violence.

To members of Al-Qaeda and their sympathizers, we say your actions constitute “irhab” (terrorism) and “hirabah” (unlawful warfare), not “jihad” (striving in the cause of G-d). Murdering innocent civilians is making war against the Quran, the very foundation of Islam, for G-d clearly says that to kill one innocent person is like killing all of humankind.

To our fellow Americans, we ask you not to paint all Muslims with a broad brush and to resist the temptation to label us all as potential threats.

The incidents that took place in Detroit and in Arizona on Sunday in which three men were erroneously believed to have been security threats, primarily because of their ethnicities, are examples of innocent people being profiled and humiliated because of fear.

“Those plotting against us seek not only to undermine our security, but also the open society and the values that we cherish as Americans…As Americans, we will never give in to fear or division. We will be guided by our hopes, our unity, and our deeply held values.”

The following a speech, which was delivered on July 23, 2005 at Wayne County Community College District in Detroit, Michigan during a program to promote the Ministerial Studies program:

“Holistic Concept of Jihad in Al-Islam”

Proceeding the testimony of the oneness of G’d, establishment of the five daily prayers, charitable donation, fasting during the ninth lunar month of Ramadan and pilgrimage to the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, an obligation upon a Muslim is Jihad. Jihad, which is mistranslated as “Holy War” by Orientalists and Western media, literally means exertion or struggle in the Arabic language. In fact in the last of the revealed books as believed by Muslims, The Qur’an, contains no terminology called “Holy War.”

Jihad in Al-Islam can be simplified into two components, the Outer Jihad and the Inner Jihad. The Outer Jihad, which is referred to as the Lesser Jihad is exertion through leaving one’s material comforts to establish justice and propagate the Religion of G’d. This form of Jihad ranges from defending the lives and property of Muslims, liberating the oppressed, Muslims or Non-Muslims, and leaving home to educate people about Al-Islam, to seeking religious knowledge.

The Qur’an explains:
[2:190] – And fight in the way of G’d with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely G’d does not love those who exceed limits.

[2:193] – And fight with them until there is no persecution, so religion is only for G’d, but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors.

[22:39] – Permission [to fight] is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely G’d is well able to assist them.

Furthermore in the prophetic traditions called hadeeth, it is recorded that Prophet Muhammad, the last prophet of Al-Islam said, “Whoever leaves home seeking knowledge, he is in the Path of G’d until returning home.”

Thus, the correct expression of the Outer Jihad is strictly based upon self defense, alleviation of oppression and refinement of society through education. According to Al-Islam, the people on the opposing side are not the object of hostility; the object of hostility is the demonstration of tyranny, criminality and oppression. The rules of engagement in Al-Islam preceded modern standards of “Rules of engagement” and what has also been termed “Just War.” Prophet Muhammad stated 1,400 years ago that women, children and workers in the field may not be harmed and that only those who actively fight against or have stolen the wealth of the Muslims may be attacked. Trees and herbage can not be destroyed nor animals during wartime. Again, the humiliation and devastion of a populace is not the objective; the object is to establish freedom, justice and equality.

The Inner Jihad, which is the Greater Jihad, is the day to day struggle against sin and corruption on a personal level. The Prophet Muhammad stated after a battle that the Muslims were leaving the Lesser Jihad for the Greater Jihad. His supporters were puzzled and questioned him concerning the Greater Jihad. He replied, “The Greater Jihad is the Struggle of the Inner Self.” Therefore, the Qur’an states: And that man shall have nothing but what he strives for.

The Inner Jihad is the struggle against unethical behavior, selfishness, prejudice and perversity; the greater emphasis is to be placed upon the struggle against one’s own shortcomings with the recognition that the person is his/her own worst enemy. The Qur’an states relating to Prophet Jonah’s Inner Jihad: [21:87] – And Jonah, when he went away in anger, so he thought that We would not straiten him, so he called out among afflictions: There is no diety but You, glory be to You; surely I am of those who have oppressed [their own souls].

Only through individuals working on correcting their own shortcomings can a society seek to obtain the peak of moral and ethical excellence.

The main focus, therefore, of Jihad is exertion to establish the entire life in accordance with the universal, ethical standards that G’d decreed, which transcend time period, ethnicity and geography. In the time of Prophet Muhammad, there was no standing military or police force. The Muslims that resided within the vicinity of his town, Medina, policed themselves via the inner struggle that was within their own souls to resist vices and conform to the excellent standards that G’d decreed upon the soul. His community model was established upon Jihad, which was the epitome of ethical society that all humans whose hope is in G’d and accountability to G’d should strive towards emulating.